A quick trip to the nursery last week led to an exciting discovery. I usually pass right on by the rhododendron displays because we have so many of them here in the Northwest. Hundreds and hundreds….thousands…millions…there are a lot of rhodies around here! But these drew my attention immediately because of their striking differences. The Makinoi rhododendron has beautiful lanceolate, almost linear, leaves. They … Continue reading Rhododendrons Uncovered
Today as I was admiring the fresh new growth on my Japanese Maple and saw something disturbing. The buds were just breaking open with our warming April weather, unfurling delicious colors that were vibrant with life. It must have been a signal to the Japanese Maple-eating pests, the dinner bell was ringing! There were little black dots all over these new leaves. Black … Continue reading Fresh New Growth—Yum!
A walk around the LWIT Arboretum showed off these beautiful spring flowers. Today I decided there is so much work to do in spring that it should be spread out over the year. What if we put April in August and March in November? Maybe I could get everything done. But we have to leave May in May because it’s the center of spring. Spring … Continue reading Spring Flowers
Star magnolias are in bloom and I’m spotting them everywhere. Since we’ve moved into our new house in the backwoods of King County, we’ve started exploring the neighborhood. It’s always fun to walk around a new neighborhood and check out the plants. While my kids are staring at the dog in the driveway I can’t take my eyes off of the well-placed alpine fir. Others … Continue reading The Magnolia Walk
Spring ephemerals. I love this name. It makes me think of wildflowers and dragonflies. Tissue paper and birthdays. Raindrops and moonlight. The name refers to those short-lived spring flowers that make a momentary yet glorious appearance in the early spring and go dormant in the summer. Trillium is a well-known spring ephemeral, but there are many others that I was recently introduced to at the … Continue reading Spring Ephemerals
Rainyleaf 